1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera having a lens cover, and more particularly to a camera in which a slidable lens cover is provided with a pair of operating portions for inputting two kinds of correlative operation signals.
2. Description of the Related Art
As described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 11-231376, there is a camera having a slide cover of a box-like shape. Such a camera is covered with the slide cover from a right-hand-grip side of a camera body. When the slide cover is slid toward the right to be moved from a closed position to a photographing position, a taking lens provided in the front of the camera body emerges. The moved slide cover is held by a right hand and is utilized as a grip. Owing to this, the right hand gripping the camera is separated from the taking lens so that it may be prevented to take a picture overlapped by a finger.
In the above-mentioned camera, a shutter button is attached to the slide cover so as to be easily pressed by a finger of the right hand gripping the camera. When the slide cover is moved to the photographing position, the shutter button is moved to a position where a release switch provided in the camera body is actuated. Thus, the shutter button is set in an operatable state. As to an operational member actuated at the time of photographing in watching through a viewfinder, for example as to the shutter button, it is advantageous to attach the operational member to the slide cover in view of its operating characteristics.
As the typical operational member pressed in watching through the viewfinder, there is a zoom operating member for varying a magnification of the taking lens. This zoom operating member is constituted of a pair of operating portions of a wide-angle side and a telephoto side. The wide-angle-side operating portion is actuated to vary the magnification toward the wide-angle side. The telephoto-side operating portion is actuated to vary the magnification toward the telephoto side. A photographer can actuate the operating portions, observing the change of the magnification through the viewfinder.
When the zoom operating member is attached to the slide cover, a pair of switches for detecting the zoom operating member are incorporated in the camera body, similarly to the shutter button. These switches are for detecting which of the operating portions of the wide-angle side and the telephoto side has been actuated. In such a case, it is required to move the operating portion to a position where the switch thereof is surely and smoothly actuated after moving the slide cover to the photographing position.
By the way, the respective operating portions of the wide-angle side and the telephoto side are advantageous to be arranged such as to be easily actuated by the same finger of the right hand gripping the camera. In view of this, when the operating portions are arranged on the slide cover, each of them should be disposed within a range of a predetermined distance from a grip edge of the slide cover. On the other hand, with respect to the switches for detecting the operating portions, there is a restriction that these switches should be incorporated into the camera body in consideration of a positional relationship which concerns the slide cover having been moved to the photographing position.
As a result, there arises a problem in that a space of the camera body for incorporating the switches becomes difficult to be obtained in accordance with an increase of a moving amount of the slide cover. In case the moving amount of the slide case is short or in case the operating portion is provided at a position separated from the grip edge, the space of the camera body for incorporating the switches may be easily obtained. However, in the former case, a picture overlapped with a finger is likely to be taken, and in the latter case, there is a problem concerning its operating characteristics.
In view of the foregoing, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a camera in which a space for incorporating switches is obtained in a camera body even though a moving amount of a slide cover is comparatively extended when the slide cover is provided with a pair of operating portions for inputting two kinds of correlative operation signals, such as a zoom operating member.
It is a second object of the present invention to provide a camera which has advantages relative to its operating characteristics when a slide cover is provided with a pair of operating portions for inputting two kinds of correlative operation signals, such as a zoom operating member.
In order to achieve the above and other objects, the camera according to the present invention comprises a pair of operating portions for inputting two kinds of correlative operation signals. These operating portions are arranged so as to be perpendicular to a moving direction of a slide cover.
When the slide cover is moved to a photographing position, the operating portions are moved to positions for actuating respective switches provided in a camera body. These switches may be arranged so as to be perpendicular to the moving direction of the slide cover similarly to the operating portions.
Thus, it is not caused that only one of the switches is biased toward a side of the camera body. Moreover, the pair of the operating portions are located at respective positions separated by an equal length from a grip side of the slide case so that its operating properties are improved.
In a preferred embodiment, the present invention is applied to a zoom operating member. In this case, it is preferable to use a single member of a teeter type, both sides of which are adapted to be a telephoto-side operating portion and a wide-angle-side operating portion respectively.
According to the present invention, the slide cover is provided with a pair of the pressed operating portions for inputting two kinds of the correlative operation signals. These operating portions are arranged in the perpendicular direction to the moving direction of the slide cover. Owing to this, when the slide cover is utilized as the grip, locations of the respective operating portions are adapted to be substantially equal from the grip end so that actuation thereof may be easily performed. Further, in accordance with this, the switches incorporated in the camera body are arranged in the same direction. Thus, the moving length of the slide cover may be extended despite a compact size, and gripping properties and handling properties may be improved.